Car stop indicator



Jan. 28, 1947. E, J, LARSQN. 2,414,820

GAR STOP INDICATOR Filed July 3, 1944 2 sheets-s119611v if @L y llgf/g W'rcmmq!" SURE-@TM .Z lamv/7,

Jan. 28, 1947. E, J ARSN 2,414,820

CAR STOP INDI CATOR Patented Jan. 28, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to annunciator devices for the current indication of stops or stations on street cars, buses, railroad cars and other public conveyances and it has for its object to provide a reliable and foolproof device "of this character Whose operation is positive and extremely simple, which is operated in the same way in either of two directions and which requires, whatever the direction in which it is moved, actuating impulses of the same character.

Devices of this type have been proposed, but, as a rule, they do not meet these requirements. This is due to a series of difiiculties which are encountered when it is attempted to fulfill all the above named conditions. These conditions, however, correspond practically to the minimum requirements which are indispensable under the circumstances under which most street car or bus lines are operated.

Stop or station indicators are mainly for use on lines carrying heavy trafc and on such lines additional burdens to be put on the already overburdened personnel have to be of suchv character that the duties connected with them can be performed automatically without engaging particularly the attention of the operator. Any manipulation, for instance, which is not of the most simple character even if it has only to be performed once during one run, is therefore excluded. While the turning of a knob or the switching of a lever may have the required character additional and more complicated operations will not be performed completely or in the prescribed order in a suflicient number of cases to cause disturbance, misinformation and suspicion as regards the reliability of the information supplied thus frustrating the purpose of the device. This fact entails the difliculty of providing means for setting the device for a new run, usually a run in reverse direction, without resorting to the customary means such as rewinding or changing of rollers.

Another difiiculty is connected with the fact that indicators of this type have to be suited for long runs with a relatively large number of stops or stations; they therefore require the use of webs, strips, or bands on which the necessary number of names can be placed and which are wound on rollers moved stepwise to display said f names in succession. As the web, strip or band forms, when wound on a roller, a spiral of increasing diameter a step by step movement of the roller through equal angles will not advance the web through equal distances. This is inadmissible in most cases but especially where the arrangement is reversible.

The methods suggested for obtaining an advance of the web, strip or band over equal stretches are either very complicated involving feelers, variable reduction mechanisms and the like or they employ non-positive means such as springs released by the impulses, brakes and sim.. ilar means. They sometimes require the use of unequal impulses. All these methods have great disadvantages as the lack of a direct connection between the source of the impulse` and the web to be moved along the connection by means of an intricate mechanism with links` permittingA current adjustment produces a tendency toY get out of step thus requiring constant supervision.

The invention therefore consistsin an arrangement meeting all the above enumerated requirements while utilizing mere means which are of a simple mechanical type and which do not involve the use of a complicated and permanently adjusted mechanism.

According to the invention the web carrying the inscriptions conve-ying the required information is moved past a displaying slot by means` of rollers which are carrying the web and are moved stepwise, the roller on which the web is wound being the driven roller, While the roller from which unwinding takes place is idle; thus a positive and direct drive for the web is provided. In order to permit change of direction either roller has to be provided with driving means. The roller which corresponds to the direction chosen is selected by means of a swinging member which carries a reciprocating slide on which the members imparting the stepwise rotation to the roller are mounted. This member is arranged between the rollers and is moved towards the one or other roller by hand and fixed in its position, This entails for the operator merely the very simple manipulation of moving a knob or handle from one end of' a slot to the otherand securing it there: whenever at the end of a run a change of direction is desired.

The movement of the said member towards one roller brings the means for advancing the rollers, which are, as a rule, pawls, into engagement with corresponding means associated with the roller, towards which said member has been moved, such as a ratchet wheel and at the same time disengages the corresponding means associated with the other roller which will thus be idle.

The pawls have to perform a reciprocating movement and for this reason they are mounted on a slide which is able to reciprocate along the l 3 swinging member which acts as a guide. The movement of the slide is derived from a cord which may be pulled by the operator or is associated with any apparatus or appliance which may form a suitable driving means in this case. An important part of the invention resides in the mechanism which equalizes the stretches of the web which are drawn web is wound on the rollers in the form of a spiral'coil equal angular movements of the roller entail very unequal advances of the web on dii'- ferent parts of the spiral. The equalization according to the invention is obtained b v a Systematic reduction of the stroke of the slide made in accordance with the number of revolutions performed by the driving roller.

ated once during a revolution of the roller.

"To eliminate the'de'ad motion which might result from'this `change and interfere with'the correct adiustment a number of pawls arranged on the Vsame pivot vand slightly differing as regardslength are arranged side by side.

A Vfurther part of the invention consists in a mechanismwhich stops theV driving roller when the web has been completely unwound from the idle roller so that damage bv further manipulationofthe apparatus is avoided.V This mechanism consists iny a latch means for securing the slidefrom onerationbv means of a lever actuated by a spring pressed flap which will stand up and rise from the surface of the. roller when it is no longer .held there by a portion of the web covering the surfe ce of the roller.

Further objects. advantages, and features of he invention will be gathered from the following detailed description of one modification of theinvention. It is. however, to be understood that the invention consists in the. arrangement, construction, combination and co-onerative relation ofl mechanisms and their members and parts as described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings. It

iskhowever. to be emphasized that the specification and drawingspby describing only one modication of theinvention. is not intended to be limitative but .is illustrative. `and..that many changesand modications may be made` as re.-A gards arrangement and the construction of details whichwithout departing from the essence of theV invention as described and as sunfnnarizedY inthe claims.'l i

The invention is illustrated inthe accompany-A ing drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view or the casing containing the annunciator according to the invention when'inactual use and while displaying the name of a stop or station through a slot; `:nlFigure 2. is an end view of the casing, showing-the handle of the mechanism for reversing vthe direction of operation;

."Figure 3-is a-^vertical sectional-*view showing the rollers on'which the strip or web containing the names to be displayed are wound and the mechanism for actuating the same;

Figure 4is a transverse sectional view showing the rollers and the 'mechanism actuating them;

Figure 5 isa' plan view on a section along line 5...-5 Loi Figure 4:

Figure 6 is anelevation, partly in section, of the .slide` the` pawls pivoted on it and the stop regulating its stroke. as well' as some further details connected with the slide ;1

past the slot. As the` This reduction is, due to a movable stop changing the positionot rest of the slide which is driven by a gear actu- Figure 7 is a cross section through a portion of? the roller, showing some details, and;

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure Ll'on an enlarged scale showing the mechanism for ar- 5 resting the slide when one of the rollers has been emptied.

The stop or the invention comprises a casing lll with a slot II 'behind which the names of thelstreet intersections, stops or stations are displayed; This display may be carried out in any well known manner, either by cutting out the letters on a dark'and opaque web, lighted from behind or by printing or painting opaque letters on a white or transparent` web or strip lighted either from a source Yof, light in front of the strip or arranged in the interior of the casing I0.

Housed within the casing I are two rollers I2 and I3 on which the web I'I carrying the inscriptions or prints to be displayed through the slot I I is wound,said web passing'from one roller- |5 arranged above to the other over guides I4 and and below the slot respectively. Guide I4 may be fixed to the casing while guide i5 is preferurging the guide upwardly,

web under tension and to secure an even display surface without creases or folds. Y Y

The web is always wound on the driven for the time being and is unwoundfrom the roller which is idle at this-time. Its ends areY permanently fastened to the rollers I2 and vI3 by means of metal strips I8 laid over said ends and secured on the rollers by means of screws I9.

Flaps 20,2911 (Figs. 3 and 7) are arranged near said metal strips which may pivot around a pintle. These flaps 2i), 20a, lie ush with the surface of the roller, when forced down against the action of a spring 22, 2 2a urging the flap outwardly, a position which is shown in Figure '1 in full lines. This position is assumed when the naps are held down by one or more layers of the web wound on the roller. f

The position of each flap on the roller is preferably so selected that it will be` uncoveredwhen the `last layer of the coiled web begins to unwind itself. As soon as thebottom layer of the web leaves the roller surface near the flap the latter, under the pressure of the spring, assumes the position shown in dotted lines Figure 'l (marked 2Gb) in which the flap stands up at right angles to the surface. To arrest and hold it in this position, the flap is provided with a tail portion 20c moving in a small recess of the roller 20d and abutting against the wall of said recess.

The flap serves a purpose whichrwill be described later.

The rollers are journalled in bearings which areY provided inthe casing lil. Preferably one of the rollers (I3) is journalled in separate adjustable bearings whose position maybe controlled and regulated by means `oi a screw Z4 providedr` with a, winged nut 25. up any slack of the web which may occur in the course of operation but a further and even more important object of this adjustability ofthe arrangement consists in holding the rollers at the required distance from each other and from the driving means presently to be described. Abelt 8l may run aroundboth rollers to secure coordin nated rotation without pulling strain on the web.

The Vrollers are driven alternatively by positive driving means which comprise a pair of ratchet wheels 25, 2l or 26a, 21a, arranged on each roller at a certain axial distance from each other, the

station annunciator according to f ably movable under the action of a spring IIV in order to hold the.

roller which is The adjustment permits to take ratchet wheel 26 or 26a being carried by the roller itself, while the ratchet wheel 21 or 21a is carried by a drum 69 projecting from the front end of the roller. Ratchet wheel 26 or 26a 4is merely a stop wheel by means of which the roller is held against rotation. It cooperates with stop dogs 28 or 28a in a manner described below.

The ratchet wheels 21, 21a are rotated step by step by means of groups of pawls 33, 3 l, 32, or 3a, 3Ia, 32a respectively which are provided with hooks or teeth engaging the teeth of the ratchet Wheels 21 or 21a. The latter are of suiiicient width to permit the simultaneous operation of all the pawls of the group. The group is formed by a number of pawls which are superposed, each pawl Ibeing cut out of a sheet of limited thickness so that their combined thickness is no-t excessive. They may move independently around their common pivot 33 or 33a which is carried by a slide member 34. They are of unequal length, but the difference is slight and the maximum difference does not exceed, as a rule, the length of one tooth of the ratchet wheel. They are pressed towards the ratchet wheels by means of leaf springs 39, |30a fixed on the slide member 34.

As shown in Figure 4 the two groups are fixed on the slide in such a way that one group is turned towards the ratchet wheel 21 and the other group towards the other ratchet wheel 21a; one group (3B, 3l, 32) therefore advances the ratchet wheel 21 in a clockwise direction while the other group (30a, 3io, 32a) when brought into engagement with the ratchet wheel 21a advances said wheel in a counterclockwise direction. It is also to be noted that the arrangement is such that when the slide 34 is in the proper position for the engagement of one group with its associated ratchet wheel the other group is out of engagement with its wheel.

The slide member 34 is provided with guide pieces 35, 45 which are provided with enlarged and undercut heads so that their cross section is of T-shape. Said guide pieces move within a guide member of a corresponding cross section, which is for instance U-shaped, and which has ledges 31, 31a entering into the grooves formed beneath the undercut portions of the T-shaped pieces 35, 45. Guide member 33 therefore holds the slide 34 rmly during its reciprocation against moi/ee ment in any other direction.

The guide member 35 itself, with the slide carried by it, is capable of performing a rocking movement around the pivot 38 which is secured to the casing l0. Said pivot is arranged at one end of the guide member while its other end carries a screw bolt 39 (Figures 2 and 5) which projects outwardly through a slot 4B in the casing Il'i. The guide may thus be xed in a given position which, in the modification shown corresponds to one oi the end positions within the slot, by means of a winged nut 4l engaging the screw bolt.

It will be noted that this movement of the guide piece moves the slide 34 and the groups of pawls fixed to the same into engagement with one ratchet wheel and out of engagement with` the other ratchet wheel. As this change corresponds to a change of the driven roller it is clear that this movement of the guide piece 35 around the pivot 38 entails a change of direction in the movement of the web.

The stepwise movement of the ratchet wheels 21, 21a by means of the groups ot pawls is produced by a reciprocating movement of the slide 34 along the guide member 35 (starting with a movement to the left in Figure 4) which is the result of a pulling action exercised by means of 'a cord 42 which is fastened to the guide piece 35 (Figure 5). The cord runs through eyes 43 and through an opening 44 in the casing I0 to the spot (not shown) where it is manipulated. The pulling of the cord 42 tensions the return spring 56 attached to the casing and to the second guide piece 45, which moves the slide back into its original position when the pulling action ceases.

'Ihe stop dogs 28, 28a which cooperate with the ratchet wheels 25, 26a are pivoted to the casing lil and may swing around their pivots 46, 46d.

'when their tail ends 41, 41a are moved. These tail ends are provided with oblong slots 48, 48a through which a bolt 49 (Figure 5) passes and which is fixed to a rod 54. Said rod carries two stops 5l and 52 and passes through a hole 53 provided in a projecting lug 54 of slide 34. The said stops are arranged at diierent sides of the projecting lug and the latter therefore impinges upon one of the stops (5 l) during the forward stroke and against the other (52) during its return stroke under the action of the spring. The stops are so adjusted that the lug will strike against one of the stops merely at the end of the stroke. The position of one or of both sto-ps may be adjustable. As shown in Figure 5, stop 5I for this purpose consists of a sleeve carrying a transverse screw 55 by means of which the stop may be clamped to the rod at any place which is found suitable. Stop 52 is a xed knob at the end of the rod which may, however be made adjustable with similar means.

By means of this mechanism the stop dogs 28, 28a may be moved into engagement with the ratchet wheels 25, 24a on the rollers when the slide is pulled to the left by cord 42. As in this case the lug 53 travelling 'with the slide meets stop 5l near the end of its stroke and rod 5D is pushed in the direction in which the slidetravels. Thereby the tail ends 41, 41a are moved in the same direction and the stop dogs are pushed towards the teeth of the ratchet wheels. They remain in engagement with these teeth until the slide returns to its position of rest under the influence of spring 55.

It will be clear from the above description that the web l1 is moved by a stepwise angular movement imparted to the rollers in one or the other direction. Provision has therefore to be made for the inequality of the stretch paid out by a roller and therefore drawn past the slot under the influence of the same angular movement when the number of turns or layers varies greatly during the Winding and unwinding operation. No absolutely exact compensation is necessary when the size of the slot and of the letters forming the inscription is properly chosen; but the diierence should never exceed a predetermined value.

The compensation of the variation inlength is obtained by means of a mechanism comprising a worm wheel 5! or @Sa mounted on a shaft 3l or 5ta. which is held in brackets 52 or E2G, fixed to the casing. At one of its ends each sha-it 6l, Sie is provided with screw threads 53 or 63a and each threaded portion carries a nut 64 or 34d with laterally projecting wings t5, or 65a, or 65a. Wing E5 is provided with a hole through which a stem 5l' or da passes `holding the nut against rotation. Wings et. 45a project into the path of the slide and form stops for the same.

rPhe worm Vgear is actuated by a tooth or linger 38 or 53a mounted respectively on the upper or lower drum t9 carried by the rollers. The finger or tooth turns the worm wheel to the desired extent once during each revolution of the `roller. This, advances the nuts 64, 6ta on the threaded shafts 6I, Gla and'thereby increases or reduces the stroke Aof the slide and with it the extent to which angular movement of the roller takes place during the following revolution of the roller.

In order to be able to increase or reduce the said angular movement in steps of less than one tooth-length the group of pawls 3e, 3i, 32 or Sta, 3Ia, 32a is substituted for the single pawl such as conventionally used. The dead motion is thereby reduced to a minimum as one of the pawls will always be close to a position where it engages a ratchettooth.

Provision is nally made for arresting a further movement of the rollers when approximately the full length of the web has been unwound from one roller and has been wound on the other roller. This mechanism consists of the iiap 2Q or' 20a .which has already been described and which is urged by a spring to assume an upright position when the web uncovers the surface of the roller. This position is shown in Figures i and 7 in dotted lines.

When the roller continues to move with the ap in upright position, the said flap strikes against a knob 'Il or 'I Ia on a two armed lever *It or 10a fulcrumed at 'I2 by means of a pivot held by a bracket 73 which is fixed to the casing. A spring 14 or 14a holds each lever in its position of rest and `opposes the depression of the knob.

The second arm of the lever I or '56a acts on a stem 'I5 or 15a which is moved in a guide 'I6 or 16a by means of two pins r'I8 or 78d projecting from it. The stem carries a hook I9 or 79a, which may engage a hook 8G or eta on the slide. The further movement of the slide is thus arrested.

The operation of the device is the following.

Assuming for the sake of simplicity that the cord is pulled by an operator and that the guide 36 has been Xed previously in the upper end of the slotv then the pulling of the cord d2 will move the slide 34 to the left in Figure 4. One of the pawls 30, 3l, 33 will either have engaged a tooth of the ratchet wheel 27 from the outset or it will engage a tooth immediately after the movement started. The movement of the slide 34 will thus rotate the ratchet wheel through an angle corresponding to the stroke of the slide. The web Il' is pulled in the direction of the arrow in Figure 4,

is unwound from the idle roller I3 and wound on the roller I2 and the display next to that appearing at the start of the movement will now be displayed inthe slot. When the slide is about to complete its stroke the lug 54 strikes against stop 5 I, moves rod 50 and the tail ends of the stop dogs 28, 28a and the said dogs strike against teeth in the ratchet wheel 26, 25a thus locking further movement of the rollers and of the web. The latter is thus arrested exactly in the desired position.

The slide is now returned to its original position by the spring 56. At the end of the stroke the lug strikes against stop 52 and rod thereby is pulled and returns the stop dogs 28, 25a to the position shown in Figure 4.

The operation continues until one revolution of the roller is completed. During such a revolution the tooth or finger S8 will come within reach of the worm wheel 6K1 and during the next stroke will pass over the worm wheel and engage it. The worm wheel rotates during Such passage to the predetermined extent. This occurs during the stroke of the slide 34 when the latter is pulled tothevleft/inuligure (l: The worm rotates shaft 6I and advances the nut 64 with its wingt acting as a stop for the slide. The latter does therefore not return to its original position as it is arrested in the new position by the stop 66'l The next pulling will therefore result in an increased stroke of the slide 3s and in an increased angular movement of the roller. The stretch of the web paid out upon such angular movement will thereby be approximately constant as the angular movement increases during the winding operation. A

The nut Sfi'is returned to its original positio during that phase of the operation during which the roller is idle. The roller then rotates in the reverse direction and as the mechanism described is permanently in action it will be actuated in a reverse sense. This operation simply returns the nut and the attached stop to its uppermost'posi-v tion in which the stroke of the slide is shortest.'

When the web has been unwound almost com-Y pletely from the idle roller (I3) (Figure 4) the flap 26a will be released and will stand up and during further advance of the roller it will come to bear against the knob 'Il of lever 1G and will depress the knob.l The lever thereupon will lift stem 15 and hook 'I9 will engage hook 80 and will immobilize the slide.

To change the direction in which the webis travelling the operator merely loosens the winged nut 4I and pushes it to the other end of the slot, where it is fastened again. The guide 36 is thus moved downwardly for example so that the pawls 30a, Sla, 32a are put into operation while the pawls 30, 3l, 32 are moved out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. Y Y

It will be seen from the above description that the manipulation of the device is extremely simple. Indeed the device may be rendered automatical or half automatica] by connecting the cord with some part which is moved during a stop such as the door or -treaclle in railroad car or the like.l The invention is not residing in this feature but it is to be emphasized that the extreme simplicity and uniformity of the operation permits a similar use Without difiiculty.

Where an operator manipulates the cord the attention called is merely the pulling of a cord every stop or station and at the end of the run the switching of a knob. The operator can neither damage the device nor .throw it out of gear by lack of proper attention so that the device may be considered as foolproof as well.

The rollers I2 and I3 with the web I1 maybe removed from the casing I0 whenever it is desired to change the web for another bearing different names so that the device may be adapted for operation when the vehicle is to be used on Y another run. The casing may have one of its end V.to be carried out.

produce an angular step by step movement ad- V vancing said roller in a given direction, means for intermittently actuating the selectively positioned one of said advancing means in its opera tive relation to its companion roller, amovable member common to and carryingsaid advancing means for both rollers and .adapted to move one uof said advancing means into cooperative connection with one of the rollers while disconnecting the other advancing means from -operative connection with the opposed roller, and automatically adjusting stop means having a positive proportionately geared operating connection with each of said rollers whereby, upon rotation of the respective rollers by the correlated roller advancing means, the stopping position of` said stop v,means is varied to control the effective travel of said roller advancing means to accordingly actuate the roller being thereby actuated so as to substantially equalize tthe step Iby step travel of said web. Y

2. An annunciator device of the type specified, comprising a casing with a display opening, a web carrying the inscriptions to be displayed in succession behind said opening, a pair of opposed rollers for carrying the web as wound thereon and advancing the web from one roll by actuation oi the other roll, means for winding said web on one roller while simultaneously unwinding it from the other roller, said means comprising separate pawls arranged and adapted to be operatively engaged with ratchet wheels provided on the respective rollers for imparting a ste-p by step rotation t said rollers, a reciprocatory member arranged and adapted for movement transversely and longitudinally between the rollers and having at least two lateral operative positions, said member carrying the above named pawls for irnparting rotation to the rollers, means for moving said member selectively into either of its lateral operative positions so as to bring a certain one or number of carried pawls respectively into working engagement with the ratchet wheel on one of said rollers and at the same time disengaging the opposite one or number of pawls from the other roller, spring means holding said reciprocatory member in a normally retracted position and returning it to such position after actuation thereof, and means for intermittently moving said reciprocatory member in the direction to actuate the selected roller in the direction to advance said web one indicative step.

3. An annunciator device of the type specied, comprising a casing provided with a display slot, a web carrying the inscriptions to be displayed successively in said slot, an opposed pair of rollers carrying the web between them and advancing the same by winding it on one roller while unwinding it from another roller, ratchet means carried by each roller for advancing the same, pawl means co-operating with the ratchet means for producing a step by step angular motion of said ratchet means, a movable guide member arranged transversely between the rollers and adapted to be moved laterally into .two operative positions and carrying the pawl means for both rollers, and -a hand operated means projecting through said casing for xing the guide member in one or the other of its lateral operative positions with one of its carried pawl means in operative engagement with the ratchet means carried by its correlated roller While the other pawl means carried by the guide member is out of engagement with .the ratchet means carried by the other roller.

4. In an annunciator device of the type speci-V ed, a casing provided with a display slot, a web carrying inscriptions .to be displayed behind said slot in succession, rollers .carrying the web and advancing the same by a step by step angular motion, means associated with each roller for imparting said step by step movement to the rollers, said means for each roller comprising a member xed on the rollerand a reciprocating `member in operative engagement therewith, a

`manually swinging A the guide member and for attaching it in` one of two operative positions, said guide member in every operative lposition carrying one of the reciprocating members into operative engagement with one of the members fixed on a roller for angularly advancing the same and carrying the other reciprocating member out of engagement with a roller.

5. In an annunciator device of the type speciiied, a casing provided with a slot, a web carrying inscriptions to be displayed successively behind said slot, rollers for carrying said web and for advancing it by winding and unwinding, a ratchet wheel associated with each roller, a pawl for each roller adapted to be brought into operative engagement with the ratchet wheel, associated therewith, a reciprocating slide, carrying the pawls for the rollers, a swinging guide member carrying the reciprocating slide, said swinging guide member being pivoted to the casing and adapted to be moved towards each roller alternatively thus bringing one of the pawls into opera# tive engagement with the ratchet wheel associated with the roller towards which said guide member is moved, means to reciprocate the said slide, compri-sing a cord operated from outside the casing, a further ratchet wheel associated with each roller, and stop dogs cooperating with said ratchet wheels, said stop dogs being operated by the reciprocating slide, and hand operated means projecting through the casing for moving said swinging guide member into one of two positions and fixing it for determining the direction in which the web has to be moved.

6. In an annunciator device of the type specined, a casing provided with a slot, a web carrying the inscriptions to be displayed behind the slot, rollers for carrying and advancing the web, a ratchet wheel associated with each roller, a pawl cooperating with each ratchet wheel, a reciprocating slide carrying the pawls, a guide provided with a slideway for carrying said slide, means for reciprocating said slide on said guide including a cord pulled from outside the casing, and a spring returning said slide, a movable stop for arresting the slide in a predetermined position and means for shifting said movable stop in accordance with the number of revolutions made by the driving roller on which the web is wound, comprising a gear rotated once during one revolution of the drum, a shaft rotated by said gear, and a stop associated with said shaft moved by the latter towards and away from the slide in accordance with the rotation of the shaft.

7. In an annunciator device of the type specined, a casing provided with a slot, a web carrying the inscriptions to be displayed successively behind the slot, two rollers for carrying and advancing the web, means for imparting an angular step by step motion to said rollers comprising a ratchet wheel associated with each roller and a pawl cooperating with each of the ratchet wheels, and means for arresting the movement of the roller on which the Web is wound up, when the second roller has been emptied, comprising a. spring pressed flap, arranged ush with the surface of the roller, covered by the web when Wound upon the roller and uncovered when the roller is empty, an actuating lever in operative relation with respect to the ap When the latter is raised, and a stem operated b-y said lever and holding said means for imparting an angular movement to the roller out of engagement with the same.

8. In an annunciator device as4 specified in claim 5, operating means for the stop dogs compri-sing a rod, a projecting lug on the reciprocating slide provided with a hole through which said rod passes and a stop on each side of said lug operated by the lug during the reciprocation of 15 12 9. In an yannunciator device as vspeciiiedn claim 5, a pair of stop dogs pivoted on the casing and `provided withY tails havingrv oblong slots-a pivot pas-sing throughsaid Voblong` slots., a'rod associated with said pivot, a projecting lug o n the reciprocatingslide provided with a holethroiigh Which said rod passes and a'stop on each s'i'deof said lug operated by the'lug during the reciprocation of the slide. A Y

10. In an annunciator device as specified in claim 1, means comprisingV adjustable bearing-s for one of the rollers and means to shiftAsaid bearings to place the rollersupported thereby' at different positions in its opposed relation to the other roller. Y 1` I Y i EDWARD J. LARASON. 

